The Woodlands (Texas) — When Amari Avery arrived at her hotel in The Woodlands on Wednesday night, the clock was already past midnight. After a team win at the Pac-12 Championships the USC sophomore’s eyes started to close around 1 am. Later in the day, she played the first round of The Chevron Championships without ever having seen the course.
Avery said, “I was not nervous at all because I had just gotten off the plane after playing the final round of the Pac-12s.” I thought, “Oh, more golf. Hopefully four more round, and we should be able to secure it.”
Avery has achieved more than just securing a place on the weekend. A second-round 69 places her 2 under par for the tournament, and she is in a tie for 19th place at the Nicklaus Course of the Club at Carlton Woods.
The horn was blown to stop play on Thursday. Avery had four over after five holes. Just over an hour after the first delay, Avery returned to play and made a birdie on the sixth. Avery’s last 31 holes have been played in six under par since the first delay. She is five strokes behind leader Lilia Vu.
Tiffany Joh, a former LPGA player and assistant coach at USC, said that while Avery’s power and high-flight ball-strike are often highlighted, not enough attention is given to her ability on the greens.
Avery, who played the Nicklaus Course on Thursday blind, did get some tips from her younger sister Alona (16), who competed at the Mack Champ Invitational on the same course on Saturday. Alona is committed to UC Irvine’s collegiate golf program. Andre is the bagman for Avery this week and has scouted out the course as much as possible in the days before Amari arrived.
He said, “I got a lot of assistance from my friends who are caddies out here.”
New profile picture? #Pac12Golf champs pic.twitter.com/DY5FOxuZdZ
USC Women’s Golf April 19, 2020
Avery is one of seven amateurs on the team. She balances two major events over the course of a week. Avery, a communications major, also does about an hour of homework each day.
Avery said with a smile, “Unfortunately my adviser and coaches have kind of been on me a bit.” I’ve fallen behind in my schoolwork. “I’m doing something every single day to stay on track.”
Avery is making her third appearance on the LPGA Tour and it’s her first time to make the cut.
She’s had a week that she will never forget.
